July 4, not Jan. 1, top crash death day

I was sent a link to the snopes website the other day that referenced the question of whether Jan. 1 (or the Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 combo) was the deadliest night for traffic crash deaths as is often believed. As I was already aware, it is not. So I thought I’d share that little tidbit. Jan. 1 is actually number five on the list of deadliest days for crashes. It is topped by July 4, July 3, Dec. 23, and Aug. 3 (in that order). Also of interest is that it virtually ties 3 other days in August.

While alcohol is a big factor in the crashes July 4 and Jan. 1, with 41% and 51% intoxicated drivers, respectively, one of the biggest factors in the rankings is that folks drive more in the summer. More cars and more driving mean more deaths from car crashes (it’s a numbers thing).

It is important to not drink and drive and not to ride with someone who has been drinking and is driving. But also keep in mind that these deaths occur no matter the weather, no matter the time of year (although remember the spike of crash death in the summer); you never know when this could happen (it may be the other driver), so do your best to always drive prepared as well.